Clip for joining wirebound containers



March 22, 1960 G. B. PETERS CLIP FOR JOINING WIREBOUND CONTAINERS Filed March 26, 1958 INVENTOR.

Gui/ford B. Pefers AT TORNEYS.

United States Patent CLIP FOR JOINING WIREBOUND CONTAINERS Guilford B. Peters, Mendham, N.J., assignor to stapling Machine (30., Rockaway, NJ., a corporation of Delaware Application March 26, 1958, Serial No. 724,008-

6 Claims. (Cl. 217-13) firmly anchored in position, and will even retain their position when the container is unfolded into the form of a knocked-down blank. Moreover, although the fasteners are mounted entirely internally of the container, they are substantially flush with the inner surface of the container rather than projecting into the interior thereof where they might damage its contents or create a hazard of injury to persons handling the container or its contents.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an isometric view of an illustrative fastener clip embodying features of this invention.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of two wirebound box blanks of similar construction arranged end-to-eud and secured together by clips of the type shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a composite box formed by folding a pair of assembled box blanks of the type shown in Figure 2, with a portion of the box broken away to show the clips which secure the assembly together.

As may be seen in Figure 1, the illustrative fastener clips 2 are formed of a single piece of sheet metal which is shaped to provide a body portion 4, which is generally flat, with perpendicularly extending flanges 6 at each end of the body portion 4. A pair of prongs 8 are formed at one side of the body portion 4, the prongs 8 being of generally triangular shape, their relatively sharp apices facilitating embedding of the prongs in the wooden cleats of the container. Advantageously, the entire clip 2 may be stamped from an integral piece of sheet metal, with the flanges 6 and prongs 8 being bent from the plane of the sheet. Preferably the sheet metal from which the clip is formed is of a relatively thin gauge, e.g. A so that the body portion 4 may be interposed between the opposed mitered ends of theadjacent cleats without separating the cleat ends to a'spacing beyond the tolerance of a standard wirebound container.

As may be seen in Figure 2, two box blanks A and B are placed end-to-end, with the cleats C at their proximate ends aligned in face-to-face relationship. The box blanks are then secured together by placing clips 2 over the aligned pairs of mitered ends of the cleats at one side of each of the sections of the box blank. The length of the body portions 4 of each of the clips 2-that is, the spacing between the inner faces of the flanges 6--is equal to the overall thickness of the two face-to-face ice cleats C, so that the clips 2 clamp the cleats firmly together.

As shown in Figure 3, when the box blanks are folded around to set up the composite box, the body portion 4 of each of the clips 2 is clamped between the opposing mitered ends of cleats, with the prongs 8 being driven into the end of one of the cleats. This embedding of the prongs 8 in the wooden cleats firmly anchors the clips 2 between the cleats and prevents their slipping out during handling or transportation of the box. It also tends to keep the clips in place, even when the box blanks are again knocked down into flattened form, as shown in Figure 2.

The flanges 6 extend across the full width of the ends As best shown in Figure 2, the clips are preferablyplaced on the ends of the cleats C which are remote from the outer edge of the top section E, so that the outer edge of the top section E does not have a clip on it, but the clip at the closing corner of the box is instead located on the upper end of the front section of the box where gravity will aid in maintaining it in position even when the top E of the box is open. Of course, when the loops L at the closing corner of the box are interengaged to secure the box closed, all of the clips 2 are securely anchored in position.

The clips 2 strongly clamp the two blanks together and form a rigid and sturdy composite box of an overall length greater than that of any blank which could be fabricated in conventional wirebound box-making ma chines. As will be understood, the clips can be very readily applied by hand, without any tools of any kind, since the prongs 8 are automatically embedded by folding of the box. It will thus be appreciated that the present invention provides an economical and practical means for accomplishing the aforementioned and other desirable objectives. However, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention which is described herein and shown in the accompanying drawing is intended as merely illustrative of the invention rather than as restrictive of the scope thereof or of the coverage of this patent, which is limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a composite container comprising a pair of container blanks arranged in end-to-end relation, said container blanks having at their proximate ends reinforcing cleats with opposing mitered ends at the corners of said container, a clip member having a body portion received between said opposing mitered ends, and flange portions extending laterally from said body portion, the spacing between said flanges being equal to the overall thickness of two face-to-face cleats on the respective proximate ends, said flanges snugly engaging the remote faces of said cleats and firmly clamping said cleats together.

2. In a composite container comprising a pair of container blanks arranged in end-to-end relation, said container blanks having at their proximate ends reinforcing cleats with opposing mitered ends at the corners of said container, a clip member formed of sheet metal and having a body portion received between said opposing mitered ends, said body portion having a length equal to the overall thickness of two face-to-face cleats on the respective proximate ends, and integral, perpendicularly extending flange portions at opposite ends of said body cleats.

3. In a composite container comprising a pair of container blanks arranged in end-to-end relation, said container blanks: having at their'proiiimate ends reinforcing cleats with opposing mitered ends at the corners of said 7 container, a' clip member formed. of sheet. metal and having a body, portion received between said opposing mitered ends, said body portion having a length equal to the overall thickness of two face-to-face cleats on the respective proximate ends, and a width not greater than the length of the mitered ends of said cleats whereby the: entire body portion is received'between the mitered ends of said two cleats and the opposing mitered ends of. the adjacent cleats onthe respective containers, andin te'gral, perpendicularly extending flange-portions at opposite ends of said body portion snugly engaging the re.

niote faces of'said two cleats.

' -4. Ini a composite container oniprising a pairof con and snugly engaging therernote faces of said cleats and firmly clamping said cleatstogether, and aprong'projecting from said body portion and embedded in oneof said. mitered ends.

' 5. In a composite container comprising a pair of container blanks arranged in end-to-endrelation, saidcontainer blanks having at their proximate ends reinforcing cleats with opposing mitered ends at the corners of said portion snugly engaging the. remote faces of said'two container, a clip member formed of sheet metal and having a' body portion received between said opposing mitered ends, said body portion having a length equal to the overall thickness of tw'o'face-to-face cleats on the respective proximate ends, and a Width not greater than the length of the mitered ends of said cleats whereby the entire body portion is received between the mitered ends of said two cleats and the opposing mitered ends of the adjacentclea'ts on the respective containers, integraL perpendicularly extending flange portions at opposite ends of said body portion' for engagement with the remote faces of said two cleats, and pointed prongs formed at an edge of said body portion and bent perpendicularly thereto and embodded inthe mitered ends of said cleats.

6. In a composite container comprising a pair of container blanks arranged in end-toend relation, said container blanks having face material with reinforcing cleats secured to its inner surface at the proximate edges of said blanks, said cleatshaving opposing mitered ends" at the cornersofsaid container, at clip .member formed of.

sheet metal, and having a body, portion received between said opposing mitered-lends, said bodyjportion having a length equal to the overall thickness of two face-to-face cleats on the, respective proximate ends, integralflange portions extending.perpendicularly from said bodyportion across substantially the full width thereof, the edges of said flange portions being mitered at at least one side of said clipmember, said clip member being interposed between theopposing mitered ends of said'cleats with the mitered edges of said flange portions lying adjacent the inner surface of said face material.

References Cited in the tile or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,597,680 Goodwin -r Aug. 31, 19 25- 

